The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday finalized a rule making hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss available without requiring them to see a doctor.
The rule will take effect in 60 days, and hearing aids could be available over the counter for Americans in early October.
An estimated 28.8 million Americans could benefit from hearing aids, according to the National Institutes of Health. But just 16 percent of eligible people aged 20-69 currently use them, and just 30 percent of eligible seniors older than 70 use them.
